Chosen Family
by Le Val
Summary: The team is working hard, when Steve ends up in the hospital. His savior? Grace. The target? Also Grace. All characters included. Debut-story.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! So... this is my first try at this. It's not yet finished, but I do have a couple of chapters written already. First of all, thank you for showing the interest - I hope you'll enjoy it. Second of all, keep in mind, that English isn't my first language, so bear with me, if the wording is a little off. I would like to know, however, if you find a mistake and have a better idea. Third of all, I'm still trying to actually find my type of writing, so it might not be flawless. Fourth of all, this story is set after the ending of season seven, but Steve's doesn't have radiation poisoning and Rachel is still with step-Stan. I'll try to involve all characters. Fifth of all, I would like to know what you think, so if you'll leave a review, I'd be honored. Sixth of all, have fun. /Le Val._

 **Chosen Family**

"That him?" the dark haired man asked the other by his side. Instinctively, he shrunk in his seat behind the wheel of the old rust bucket of a van he had stolen to carry out the job. His friend nodded and lowered the binoculars as he too let his body sink deep into the worn out seats. It wasn't an easy task when you were taller and heavier than the average man. Standing tall, he could easily reach six feet and five inches and with all the muscles under his skin, he had a fighting weight of two-fifty pounds.

"Short man with gun and badge, who likes his hair and his ties," he confirmed with a drawl as he handed the driver a picture taken from a distance. The driver could quite keep up with the passenger's height and weight, as he was merely five-ten tall and two hundred pounds heavy. They had been working together for almost half a year and their _business_ was highly sought out for.

"Who wears ties in Hawaii?" the driver grunted when he accepted the picture and looked it over before scrutinizing the man further down the road, who was waiting by the car with his hands on his hips. He moved his mouth, but the two men couldn't make out the words. The slight breeze carried them the other way.

"Now all we need is the…" the passenger started out quietly before he paused and smiled as the teenage girl appeared next to the car and scooted around to the passenger side.

"How do you wanna do this?" the driver asked and glanced at his friend. The girl was also on the picture and it looked to be fairly recent. Long, darkish hair, blue t-shirt and white shorts, which complemented the girl's skin tone. She was the complete opposite of her father, the driver noticed. Sometimes genetics were difficult to understand.

"Follow the car, but keep your distance. He's an experienced detective and we don't want to spook him just yet," the passenger replied and they sat up straighter as Detective Danny Williams entered the car and took off a moment later. The driver pulled the van onto the road and concentrated on not getting too close. Their van was easily recognizable with just as much rust as grey paint and dents.

.

Danny pulled the car into his partner's driveway and slowed to a stop before cutting the engine. Grace was already halfway up the steps to the porch when he closed his door, welcoming the breeze. Days like these, sunny, humid and breezy could make every weekend seem like a vacation. And this weekend he had Grace and Steve had invited them over for a barbeque. Only thing missing to make this Friday perfect, was Charlie, who was on a play date on the other side of the city.

"Hey, Danny," Steve greeted as the detective walked into the house. He was in the process of taking off a red and green checkered apron one handed, as he walked into the living room, carrying to beers in the other. The apron seemed to do the trick for the light grey t-shirt he was wearing. Danny smiled at the sight, his partner, the navy SEAL was cooking, no – baking.

"Hey, what's up? You cooking up some more C4 for our next case?" Danny asked as he looked past the taller man. Steve laughed and tossed the apron over a chair before handing one of the bottles to his friend. Grace had already taken over the mixing of the ingredients, eager for something to do. Steve was mildly impressed, that she was texting on her phone simultaneously.

"Try chocolate cake," he replied as they twisted off the caps.

"That's funny, coming from you," Danny joked and let his bottle clink Steve's before taking a swig of the much needed beverage. The last week had been tough, with almost no rest and hundreds of dead end leads and spent shell casings. "All you need now is the hat," he commented. "You got the fire going? I've been starving since Tuesday," he continued and took another sip.

"Actually, I was just about to go pick up the meat," Steve replied when Danny's phone screamed for attention. Danny cringed when he looked at the caller ID and answered the phone with a tense face.

"Rachel, what can I do for you?" he asked as he breathed out. "Why? Where are you? I thought you wanted to do that?" he said and paused before he breathed out another sigh. "No, no, I'll take care of it… just text me the address," was his last response before ending the call. Steve looked on in wonder.

"Something wrong?" he asked when Danny handed him back his beer.

"Gotta go pick up my son from his play date. Apparently, Rachel is out with friends, already having consumed at least three glasses of wine, judging by the slur in her voice," Danny spoke quietly. Steve noticed Danny's _tone_ and instantly knew his mood had been knocked down several notches.

"Alright, you go pick up Charlie. Grace and I will make dinner. I'll keep this cold," he said and gestured to the bottle in his hand.

"You do that. I can pick up the meat on the way back, if you want?" he offered and grabbed the keys out of his pocket when a text made his phone beep. "Won't be more than half an hour," he promised, keeping the tone light.

"Sure, okay… it's in the store, on the corner three blocks down. There's an order in my name. Drive safe," Steve mentioned as Danny walked to the door. He turned around with a lifted finger.

"Safe…" he chuckled. "I think that's relative," he mused. "Just stay out of trouble!" he called over his shoulder when he opened the door and walked out.

"Danno… she's fifteen years old and glued to her phone in the kitchen. How much trouble can she get into?" Steve asked from the doorway.

"Yeah, I know, she'll be fine. I was talking to you," he replied when he entered his car and moments later took off. Steve couldn't help the smile as he shook his head and closed the door. They may not be related by blood, but Danny was his brother, like Grace and Charlie and the rest of the team was his _ohana_.

.

The driver and his passenger had a clear view of the house, the detective and his daughter had entered. They were silent when nothing happened for a few minutes and the driver were a bit confused when the detective left again, leaving the daughter at the house with another man, they had caught a glimpse off in the door.

"What's the plan?" he asked the passenger, not taking his eyes of the house. "Should I follow him?" he asked, his hand ready to turn the key again.

"No, we'll grab her now. Ten minutes, tops. You take the back," the passenger said and produced a gun from the small of his back. He checked the magazine and chamber before thumbing the safety off. The driver did the same, before he retrieved the roll of duct tape and the hunting knife from the floor between them.

"What about the other man?" the driver asked before maneuvering the van into the driveway.

"Doesn't matter. Collateral damage. Just don't make too much of a mess. We don't want the nosy neighbors calling the police," the passenger replied and exited the van when it came to a halt.

.

Grace had mixed the rest of the cake and now it was tucked away safely in the oven and she was preparing a green salad while Steve was out back, getting the barbeque fired up. A thought occurred to her and she stepped back to look in the freezer. Not finding what she needed she walked to the back of the house and poked out her head.

"Uncle Steve, where do you keep the garlic bread?" she asked and the tall man straightened up as he put the grin on top of the burning coal.

"In the freezer," he replied and proceeded to put the lid on.

"There's nothing there," she replied and Steve glanced over at her.

"Call Danno and have him bring some back," he replied and took a sip of the beer before checking the fire again. Grace turned around on her heals and walked back to the kitchen, already dialing her father.

.

Danny answered the phone on the second ring. He had already picked up Charlie and they were just about to park in front of the store on the corner.

"Hey, monkey," he answered and opened his seatbelt.

" _Danno, can you bring back some garlic bread? Uncle Steve doesn't have any,_ " Grace asked and Danny's brows furrowed.

"You sure? You checked the freezer?" he asked and heard the sounds of doors opening and shutting.

" _Yeah, twice. Nothing here, except for Aloe gel, superglue and a blanket,_ " Grace sighed into the phone.

"What? Why? Let me talk with the Neanderthal for a minute," Danny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Charlie was in the back of the car, playing with his toys. In the moment, the soldier was winning the fight against the dinosaur. Danny had been told numerous times that the soldier was named Super Soldier SEAL Steve and had abilities like a certain superhero in red and blue.

.

"Uncle Steve, Danno wants to talk with you," Grace called when she walked to the back of the house. Steve met her in the doorway and accepted the pink phone in her outstretched hand. She returned to the vegetables in the kitchen as Steve walked into the house and found the apron to dust the coal off his hands.

"Yeah, Danny?" he required with the phone trapped between his ear and his shoulder as he rubbed the cloth on the black spots on his hands. At that same moment, a knock on the door caught his attention.

" _Why on earth would you keep Aloe gel, superglue and a blanket in your freezer?_ " was the first thing he heard as he walked to the door.

"It's practical. A cold blanket for heat strokes, Aloe gel for burns… hold on, someone's at the door," he explained and tossed the apron on the armrest of the couch before he reached for the handle and pulled the door open. The first he noticed was the gun pointed right at him and he froze, his thoughts darting to Grace who was humming in the kitchen. He had to raise his eyes to find the face behind the weapon, a stern looking man with a weathered face. Probably from years in the sun, grime and dust. Also, the right ear was missing the top, the line scarred and jagged, like it had been chewed off. The phone still in his hand, his fingers twitched and the man sneered, catching a glimpse of the weapon on Steve's hip.

"Don't even think about it, _boet_ ," he said, his voice quiet and cold as the blanket in the freezer. His English was flawless and slightly accented. Steve's face had morphed into what Danny would have called the classic aneurism-face but the next sound brought fear into his eyes. Grace shrilling voice reached him like a mix of a yelp and a scream and Steve spun around, already reaching for his weapon. The phone, momentarily forgotten, had dropped to the floor and bounced underneath the couch.

"Grace!" he managed to yell before a sickening thud to the back of his skull made him stagger and fall to his knees with a grunt. Grace appeared in the doorway with a scrawny man behind her. Her eyes were wide and tearful and a few drops of blood trickled down her throat from where a hunting knife was pressed to her skin. The man had darker features, but his skin just as leathery, his face hovering just above Grace's left shoulder. A scar ran across the back of the hand on the knife, muscles tense under the skin. The only thing going through his mind was that he could not let anything happen to Grace. He had come to care for her, like she was his niece by blood. She was _ohana_ , family, like Danny and Charlie. Steve reacted in only a split second as he drew his firearm on one knee and pulled the trigger, all in one motion. Instinctively, he knew he didn't have any time to hesitate and he trusted himself enough to actually make the shot. Despite the fuzziness in his ears, he managed to make it a perfect headshot, relying purely on his muscle memory. A second later, he felt it, too. Just after squeezing the trigger, white hot pain seared through his right side and made him crumble. The scrawny man dropped to the floor as if he was boneless. Grace screamed and jumped away from the dead man, who was now sporting a third eye between the other lifeless eyes.

"Uncle Steve!" Grace called, her voice trembling and on the edge of crying. Steve ignored the flaring pain in his side as he stumbled to his feet and raised his weapon at the bigger man who had slowly walked around. He seemed calm, despite of the two shots that had just been fired. The outside of Steve's sight was already fading, but his feeble attempt at aiming was swiftly discarded when a boot connected with his hand and sent his gun flying to the bottom of the stairs. Steve charged at the man, even before the foot had come back down and managed to drive his shoulder into the man's big, but muscled bulk and send them both into the door, slamming it shut with a loud bang and involuntary grunts from both parts. Grabbing a hold of the man's arm Steve sent the man flying over his shoulder and crashing into the coffee table only to be dragged down with him. The table collapsed underneath the weight of the two men.

"Grace, run!" Steve yelled. It came out like a mix of a growl and roar before a mean uppercut sent him flying backwards into the TV. Both Steve and the TV fell to the floor, one of them with a groan and the other with a loud crash. Grace, momentarily frozen like a deer caught in the headlights, yelped when the bear sized man turned to her, panting and grunting, with blood running down from his left eyebrow. The entire left side of his face was covered in blood and he tried to wipe some of it out of his eyes. Grace's mind flicked back on and she ran to the closest exit she could think of – up the stairs. The big man followed, his footsteps heavier than lead as he stumbled up the stairs. Seeing this, Steve leaped to his feet and crossed the distance in three steps. He wasn't far behind and managed to grab the man's foot and trip him, just as he reached the Grace's arm, halfway up the stairs. Fortunately, she stayed on her feet when the man turned around and launched himself at Steve and the two of them plummeted down the stairs in a mess of tangled limbs and heavy groans. Grace watched from the top of the stairs, how Steve used his foot to push of the extra weight off his other leg when an elbow caught him just above the ear and sent him sprawling on the floor. The big man pushed himself to his knees and crawled closer to Steve, whose head was lolling and eyes flickering around the room. The blood on his shirt growing with every second he laid there, every heartbeat. With a heavy grunt, the big man towered above him and engulfed his throat with his strong hands. Steve clawed at the hands, but little did it help. Mind in overdrive, he focused on the man's right ear, which seemed very familiar. He was positive he had never seen the man before, though. His vision was going fuzzy, and his strength faded with every heartbeat as the blood seeped out of him. Muffled and far away, he registered the terrified cries of Grace. She was calling his name. _Uncle Steve_. Then a series of muted pops released the pressure on his neck and the bear sized man fell to the side. Steve coughed and spluttered, but he did not have the energy to move. His hearing came back in a fast paced whooshing and constant ringing. In the corner of his eyes, Grace was standing at the bottom of the stairs, his gun in her tiny hands and her expression made Steve connect the dots in his oxygen starved brain.

"Grace," he whispered and wished he could make it all better in a heartbeat, but the blackness was threatening to pull him down. He could taste blood in his mouth, feel it run down his cheek and coughed. He repeated the name and every time his voice became weaker. Suddenly she was hovering by his side and the air was sucked out of him, when she pressed hard on the bleeding on his right side.

"No, no, no, Uncle Steve, stay awake, please… please," she mumbled through the heavy tears. She hardly noticed the door being flung open, before she was pushed back by police officers.

 _Hello again! So, what's the verdict? Should I continue or is it not worth it? Hit the button and let me know. /Le Val._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello! Let me just start by saying wow! The story stats, just after the first chapter simply exploded! I never expected this much feedback, thank you, guys! Really, I appreciate all your reviews, and the suggestions that came with them. I thought, since you were so hyped for the next chapter, you would get it. Once again, thank you very much for reading. And please, keep the reviews rolling - you kind of made me addicted to them, now. Enjoy this chapter, and good night. /Le Val._

Danny's heart was in his throat, he wasn't even sure if it was still beating. A bunch of different thoughts were repeated in his head. Heat strokes and burns, someone at the door. The last ten minutes was a crazy mess. Next thing he knew, Grace screamed in the background and Steve and yelled her name. That's when a shot had been fired and his blood had truly frozen. He had yelled at the phone, alternating between Steve and Grace's names before ending the call and dialing nine-one-one. By the time he'd hung up, he was already racing through the city, lights and sirens, the whole nine yards with Charlie in the backseat, being more terrified than ever. Then he had called Chin, ordering him to scramble the rest of the team at Steve's house, with a promise of explaining later and leaving the man with more questions than answers. He was fairly certain, that he had mention _trouble_ , _screaming_ , and _gunshot_ , but he didn't quite remember. Everything was a haze and when he reached his partner's address, it was already swarming with HPD, blue lights and way too many officers with worried looks on their faces.

"Charlie, buddy, I need you to stay in the car, all right?" Danny said, throwing a quick look at his son before racing out the door and sprinting up the driveway. He left the car haphazardly on the street where police cars were blocking the road. He took in the scene he was approaching. Steve's truck hadn't moved from in front of the garage. A rusty van had parked next to it and an ambulance had parked on the grass. Four police cars filled up the drive way.

"Williams!" a voice boomed from out of nowhere and Danny stopped dead in his tracks before he almost collided with Duke. The older man held up a hand, preventing Danny from going past him.

"Grace, where is she? My daughter, she alright? Where's Steve? What happened?" Danny blurted out, on the edge of hyperventilating. Duke put a hand on the detective's shoulder and was about to answer when the remainder of the Five-0 jogged up the driveway.

"What's going on?" Chin asked, taking in the sight of the scene around them.

"Where's Steve?" Kono asked, the worry-lines engraved in her face already.

"First things first," Duke said and turned back to Danny. "Grace will be fine. Minor cuts and bruises. She's being taken care of in the back of the ambulance," Duke informed the worrying father and held up a hand before Danny could run to the ambulance.

"What about McGarrett?" Grover asked, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"They're trying to stabilize him, prep him for transport. It's not good," Duke replied and faces fell. Chin ran a hand through his hair, Kono covered her mouth to hold back a gasp.

"What happened?" Danny asked, his voice almost quivering. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"We're still piecing it together, but it looks like two guys entered the house, front and back. There was a struggle and Steve took a bullet," the seasoned officer told them. "We haven't questioned Grace yet, Danny, we were waiting for you," Duke's face turned serious again. "First on the scene says that Grace was holding a gun," he finished and the detective stopped breathing for a moment.

"You don't think..." Danny couldn't even finish the sentence but Duke nodded.

"Five rounds in the back of the perp," Duke confirmed with a solemn nod. Kono and Grover mumbled something inaudible and Chin took in a sharp breath.

"I… I need to see her, " Danny shivered and pushed past the older man in front of him.

"Danno!" his daughter called when she caught sight of him. A second later, the two were engulfed in each other's arms and Grace started sobbing again. It took all of Danny's willpower to not do the same.

"Hey, monkey," he spoke into his daughter's hair, holding her so tight, that he could barely breathe. He wasn't sure if he could ever let go of her again. Finally, he pulled away and noticed the half dried blood on her hands and a trickle of it on her neck. She was back to being his little girl, who had been scared of the monsters in the closet. She was tiny and quivering in his arms, fragile, like she could break into a thousand pieces.

"Uncle Steve, Danno…" Grace began, her sobs growing in force. "Danno, please, he can't die, please!" she was full on crying now, tears streaming down her face as a sudden commotion by the front door caught their attention. People shouted and more officers spilled out the door, clearing the way for a gurney and three paramedics. Once again, Danny's heart stopped as he caught a glimpse of his partner, his best friend, the chocolate cake-baking navy SEAL. His face was pale, the grey shirt replaced by blood soaked bandages. Danny hugged his daughter even closer as she saw it too and began shaking violently in his arms. "Uncle Steve," she cried out before Danny had to catch her when her knees buckled.

"Calm down, Detective, she's just hyperventilating," one of the paramedics told him, before Danny could even cry for help. "We're taking her to Queens for a check out, but other than the emotional trauma, she'll be alright," the paramedic said as the two of them settled Grace on the gurney.

"I'm coming with you, just… give me a second, okay?" Danny said quickly before jogging back to Chin, who was coming out of the house. His face had paled extensively in the few minutes and he grabbed his head as if to hold it in place.

"Danny..." he began but the detective cut him off.

"I'm going to the hospital with Grace," he said and took in a deep breath. "I need you or Kono to look after Charlie for me, can you do that? He's in my car, scared half to death," he continued and Chin nodded.

"Anything, man," the lieutenant replied and put a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Thanks. How's Steve?" Danny could have kicked himself in the behind for his confused, jumbled mind. Almost forgetting his best friend had been wheeled out only moments before.

"Still breathing, but they're gonna rush him into surgery at Queens," Chin explained and Danny nodded. This was all too hectic. Another thought rammed into him and he pulled out his phone.

"I'll call if anything happens," he said and rushed down the driveway to his car. "Charlie, listen, buddy. Chin and Kono will come get you, alright? I'm going to the hospital with Uncle Steve and Gracie," he explained with a calm voice that even surprised himself.

"Are they hurt?" the little boy asked and Danny nodded carefully.

"Yes, but they'll get better, alright. I've gotta go, buddy. Danno loves you," the detective said and pressed a kiss to his son's head. He didn't wait long enough to hear the usual _love you, too_. He didn't have time for that. "Duke, I need a favor," Danny said when he caught up with the older officer.

"Name it, Detective," he replied, willing to do almost everything in his power for the detective from the mainland.

"I need a car to bring Rachel to the hospital. She's in that new Italian restaurant by the beach," Danny said and quickly glanced around.

"You got it," Duke replied and sensed the anxiousness in the man. "Go, go be with your daughter, we've got this covered," he continued and the detective hurried to the waiting ambulance.

.

Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly had to mentally kick himself back up the stairs to the front porch. The sickening amount of blood was what made him hesitate. Steve's blood, he kept reminding himself. Kono came out of the front door, her eyebrows knitted together and one hand still covering her mouth.

"Kono, you think, you can take care of Charlie? Keep him calm?" he asked with a hand on her shoulder and she nodded before swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, I don't really wanna be here, anyway," she responded with a stern look in her eyes.

"Alright, take Danny's car and go to the hospital. I'll be there as soon as possible," Chin replied and pulled her into a quick, but much-needed hug, before she scurried down the driveway. He walked into the house and found Lou hovering over one of the dead men. The body was flailed in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. Lou was scrutinizing the bullet hole right between the eyes. There was no blood apart from the single droplet that had traveled down the side of the nose and then, assisted by gravity, had ended in the left ear.

"This guy comes in from the back door," the big man speculated aloud when Chin stepped closer and squatted next to the biggest man he had probably ever laid his eyes on. He had face planted the broken coffee table with five gaping holes in his back, going right from the waistband to the shoulders.

"And this one must have knocked on the door. Danny was on the phone with him, when it happened," Chin said and tried to fit it all together.

"This one still has a gun in the belt… I think he favors the Crocodile Dundee-knife… so the pistol over by the stairs must belong Hercules," Lou continued and looked around the trashed house. The couch had been pushed aside, the coffee table broken, the TV had toppled over and halfway up the stairs, a piece of the railing had been broken.

"Clearly, Steve shot Dundee before he could get a shot off. So Hercules must have fought Steve and then shot him," Chin suggested and waved a hand around at the damages.

"And then Grace must have shot Hercules in the back," Lou finished when Duke walked into the house.

"Except, there's blood on the back of the door, some of the steps on the stairs and over by the TV," the sergeant said and pointed out the red splotches. Chin sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Are we thinking that someone's out to get McGarrett or was this just a random home invasion?" Lou asked the two islanders.

"It's possible. I can only imagine the number of enemies he's made over the years. Both as a SEAL and with Five-0," Chin responded and Duke nodded in agreement. They didn't have to mention Hesse or Wo Fat, or one of the others that had a beef with the SEAL.

"Alright, I'll go to the hospital. Duke, will you call with anything you find?" Chin asked and the older sergeant nodded.

"Do you want everything sent to the Palace?" he asked and Chin nodded.

"I'll get started as soon as possible," he replied.

"I'll go with you," Lou said and headed out the door. He just needed to make a call or two.

.

Danny had always considered himself as a patient man. At least more patient, than Steve could be, but today he wasn't. The Friday had turned the six o'clock mark and the waiting room had filled considerably in the last thirty minutes. Rachel had of course freaked out when she had arrived and combined with the intake of wine she had exhausted herself with her head on Danny's shoulder. Charlie had been crying too, worrying about his sister and his Super Soldier SEAL Steve, and now he had nestled into his dad's arms and fallen asleep. Chin and Lou had aired their idea of someone targeting Steve, which Danny thought as probable. Chin had been pacing a hole in the floor and Kono was on her, possibly third cup of coffee in as many hours. Lou had been wandering in and out of the hospital, until Renee had showed up with Will, who had insisted on coming. Now the three of them were sitting in a corner, just as antsy as the next guy. Grace had been admitted and had fallen fast asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. On doctor's orders, Danny and Rachel had begrudgingly left the room to let the girl rest. She still hadn't been questioned and she wouldn't be until she had calmed down. Steve had been in surgery in what felt like forever, but was only a less than an hour. Danny closed his eyes for a moment and leaned his head back against the wall before he sighed and checked his watch for the umpteenth time. Very gently, he moved to his feet and placed Charlie on the chair and started pacing aimlessly around the waiting room.

.

Dr. Leigh Llewellyn was far away from home. Her auburn hair gave, like her name, a hint of where she descended from. She was born and raised in Baltimore and later moved to Chicago to practice emergency medicine where gunshots had been part of her daily routine. She would call herself experienced, when it came to bullets and blood, but her latest patient, a Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, really put her skills to the test, not to mention the amount of blood she had ordered. Having worked in the Aloha State the last four months had given her more fishing accidents and unlucky senior citizens to take care of, than the younger gang members with bullet wounds in Chicago. She had just exited the operating theater, where a lot of medicine students had been observing and was now on her way to the waiting room. Hawaii had enough gunshot victims, but not at many as Chicago. She had stripped out of the surgical scrubs and back into her white coat before pushing the door open to a brimming waiting room with tired faces, hunched backs and tense shoulders, another common thing for the waiting area's temporary habitants. Most of the people rose to their feet, except for a woman with a little boy on her lap.

"Family of Steve McGarrett?" she asked as she looked around the half a dozen people who immediately faced her.

"That's us, how is he?" a short blonde man replied and asked in one. She immediately knew that none of the people in front of her were actually related to the commander, but she brushed it aside as four of them were wearing badges and weapons on their hips.

"I'm Dr. Llewellyn and I've just finished operating on your friend. By the looks of it, he'll recover, but it got a little hairy a few times. He suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of the back, exiting the middle of the front which was our main priority as he had lost a lot of blood when he came in. The internal trauma will heal with time," she began to a mix of feelings and sighs and relieved shoulders. "Also, he got a concussion from a blow to the base of his skull, but we're keeping an eye on that. It doesn't look to be too severe. On top of that, three bent ribs, a sprained wrist and severe bruising will keep him in bed for at least a few days," she finished with a smile she hoped would be interpreted as hopeful and positive.

"When can we see him?" came the question from the young woman on the right. She seemed to be more anxious than the others, whose shoulders had relaxed a bit. She looked to be the youngest of the group, but Dr. Llewellyn didn't think any less of her. From what she had heard, this particular group of law enforcers was to be feared, if you were on the wrong side of the law. And she knew, instantly, that the young woman could be as tough as the men by her side and the one she had been stuck up to her elbows in until a few minutes ago.

"He's just being closed up and moved to another room, but I'll come get you in…" she glanced at the watch on her arm and then continued. "… half an hour," she said. "There's a cafeteria just down the hall to the left, if any of you need something to eat. I know it isn't much, but the pasta salad is decent. Even if it contains pineapples," the doctor mentioned with a soft smile. With the last insurances, she left the room to let the _family_ of Steve McGarrett worry again. She knew that any descent person wouldn't stop worrying until they had seen their loved one, someone just never stopped even after they had been shown a clean bill of health. The group she had just spoken to was definitely of the latter kind. She could see pain in their eyes. They were hurting, too. Her attention was drawn by a nurse that approached her with a piece of paper and her mind turned back to being the great doctor she was.

 _So, any thoughts? English is still not my first language, so any linguistic errors are all on me. Reviews will be warmly appreciated. /Le Val._


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello! New update for you. Just finished rewatching season six, but I'm so exited for season eight. Which episode is your favorite, btw? And why? Let me know in your review. Again, I would like to remind you, that any mistakes in the written language is all on me. Well, enjoy this chapter. /Le Val._

Sergeant Duke Lukela stepped into the waiting room with four young, but hardened, officers in tow, just when a doctor left through another door. Unlike many of his fellow officers in the HPD, he had never been an adversary of the Five-0 team and he had always tried his best to help them out. He had worked with the older McGarrett for a long time as well as he knew both Chin Ho and Kono when they had grown up. He was on good terms with the two mainlanders, as well and when he walked in, Lou caught a glimpse of him and alerted the team who immediately spun around. When the call had come over the air, he had immediately recognized the address and asked for additional backup. Even more backup had bent directed to the house, when neighbors had started calling in with reports of hearing multiple shots.

"Duke, what's going on?" Chin asked as he approached, the four officers staying behind him.

"We've been through everything and found this in the grey van outside the house. Along with this," Duke said as he handed a black and white picture to Danny. He immediately sucked in a breath when he looked at his daughter coming out of Rachel's house. She was in the center of the picture, clearly the one that had been the mark, while Danny was way out on the left. The picture was taken from outside the open gates and Danny was waiting, leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed.

"This was two weeks ago," Danny managed to croak out and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And this is your address," Kono said when she glanced at the note. The handwriting was written down in a hurry and a little crooked, as if someone had scribbled it down while on the phone.

"Steve wasn't the target," Chin realized. "They were there for Grace," he continued, but the words weren't necessary. Danny's face had paled noticeably and he was gently guided to the nearest chair.

"I'm going to put a couple of officers on Grace and Rachel and Charlie, too, alright? Just in case," Duke said and Danny merely nodded. "I trust that you can take care of yourself?" Duke continued and received another nod. He already knew that Danny wasn't about to be chaperoned by two officers, so he hadn't bothered to fight the detective for it.

"Do you have any ID's, motives, anything?" Danny then asked and got to his feet. He wasn't impatient anymore. It had been replaced by anger and terror. And guilt. He should have been there. Maybe none of them had ended up in the hospital, if he had stayed.

"Don't even go there, brah," Chin said. If Danny's mind worked correctly, it sounded almost like a warning, as if he could see what Danny thought. A hand was clamped down on his shoulder and Duke spoke up.

"We're running fingerprints, but nothing yet. There was a burner phone in the van. We're checking the calls," he said and paused to look around. "Any word?" he asked the group.

"Bullet wound, internal trauma, blood loss, a blow to the head, bent ribs, sprained wrist and bruises, but the doctor says he'll recover," Kono replied while letting out a slow breath. Those were the only words she had bothered to remember. Duke could feel the tension ebbing out of the team members and he felt more relaxed himself.

"That's good to know," Duke said and turned to Chin. "Everything is going to the Palace. Noelani was just arriving when I left," the older man said and Chin nodded his thanks. "I'll come by later. Keep your spirits," he finished and turned to the four officers behind him. Seconds later, two were going leaving the room while the two others stayed in the room, one by each door.

.

The darkness toyed with him crudely, letting him up for a glimpse of light before looming back over him. He had the feeling of being moved and people hovering above him. Urgent voices and commands melted together. And the most annoying noises made him resurface occasionally, like a very insisting alarm clock he couldn't find and turn off. Deeming it necessary to turn back to reality, though he didn't know why, Steve fought the heavy blackness, waddled through it and snaking out of its tight grasp on his arms and legs. He registered the heavy feeling in his legs and arms, twitching as a pain radiated from the fingertips on his left hand and into his shoulder and neck. His other hand was grabbed once again by the darkness and Steve tried to yank it away only to hear a very familiar and welcomed voice.

"Steve, take it easy, you'll be alright," Danny said, his voice funny and muffled. Remembering he had eyes, Steve warily tried to pry them open. The bright lights made it effectively impossible. With more willpower, he tried again and caught a brief glimpse of his partner, hovering in front of his face. "Hey, Superman," Danny voiced gently and Steve realized that it was Danny who had a hold of his hand.

"Huh?" Steve mumbled vaguely in confusion. It was about all his mind and mouth could cooperate on producing. He was sure, he had something important to let his partner know, but he couldn't recall it. Moments of confusion and wandering eyes later, it hit him, hard, and his breath caught. "Whoa, easy babe, no need for your special SEAL skills right now," Danny reprimanded and put a hand on Steve's shoulder.

"Grace?" Steve countered, grimacing, and Danny nodded. He was surprised that the word had been understandable. Or maybe, Danny just knew him too well.

"She's fine. Just exhausted and shocked," the detective replied and Steve let his body relax again. He drifted for what, he swore, was only a moment before opening his eyes again.

"Danno…" he mumbled gruffly when the face had disappeared from his view.

"Sorry, Boss, only me," Kono said softly when her face popped up in front of him. He managed something between a smile and a grimace and blinked before swallowing the dry lump in his throat.

"Kono," he began and swallowed hard, his throat burned and made it difficult. "South African… for hire," he continued, his voice raspier than he had ever heard. He had to concentrate on forming the words. Kono's face wrinkled in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Steve?" she asked him, clearly not following.

"South African… ear… tribes… hired..." he croaked out before he slipped back into the darkness.

Kono stepped out of the room when her boss drifted back to sleep. No wonder, with the heavy medication the doctors were keeping him on. She grabbed her phone and called her cousin, who answered on the second ring.

" _Kono, something wrong?_ " were the first words she heard.

"No, um… I don't know. He's drifting in an out of consciousness and mumbling incoherently. He just said something about a South African for hire, I think. Something with ears and tribes," she sighed and ran a concerned hand through her hair. "I don't even know if he's lucid enough to think, you should have seen the look in his eyes, sort of wild and tormented," she said quietly as she paced a circle just outside the door. The team had worked out a system, so Steve wouldn't wake up alone. Danny had taken the first shift of about two hours and Kono was just an hour into hers. Danny and Chin had returned to the house and later to the Palace, where Lou had been working since Duke left. Steve had woken a few times when Danny was there, and this was the third time while Kono had been in the room. She wasn't sure what to make of it, because every time he mumbled something. On top of that, he had trouble focusing his eyes. The doctor had told them, that he probably wouldn't remember most of it. She came by every now and then to check him, and every time his condition hadn't changed.

" _Hercules…_ " Chin said, wondering, and Kono was shortly speculating if her cousin had somehow managed to get himself concussed too.

"Chin, what..?" she asked before he interrupted her.

" _The dead giant on Steve's floor. His right ear was… I don't know… mangled?_ " Chin explained, searching for the right word to describe it.

"You thinking he's a mercenary from South Africa?" Kono asked and Chin replied to the affirmative.

" _It's possible. No hits on the fingerprints yet. But if he's not an islander, we should have a record of him arriving,_ " Chin said and Kono could hear his office door open and falling footsteps. " _I'll call you back, if we find something. Take care, Kono,_ " the older man finished and a second later, she was listening to dead air.

.

As Chin ended the call, he had waved at both Danny and Lou, who emerged from their offices. Lou was just ending a phone call when he stopped by the smart table. By the tone of his voice, it sounded like Will had needed some cheering up. Grace had been admitted, just so the doctors could keep an eye on her for the night and Danny had been torn between staying in the hospital, pacing between Grace and Steve's room and going back to work, so hunt down the people who had tried to kidnap his daughter.

"Steve just woke up again, talking, this time," Chin announced when Danny was within earshot. He kept tapping away on the machine.

"What did he say?" Lou asked, only beating Danny by a second.

"Something about South African tribes or mercenaries. The only thing, that actually made sense, was the word _ear_ ," Chin explained without looking up and Danny cringed.

"Alright, so this – what did you call him, Hercules – could be a South African mercenary, because he's had his ear chewed up?" Danny asked, if possible, even more confused than two minutes ago. Chin drew out the waiting as he ordered the machine to search faces.

"Normally, a photo id would use points from the whole face, but if we limit the pattern to just a single ear, then we get this…" the lieutenant said and trailed of before tapping the edge of the table in victory as multiple faces showed up on the screens.

"Only thing these have in common beside their ears are their nationality. They're all South African," Chin noted as Lou did a double take and Danny shivered. Seventeen angry men looked at him, most of the pictures were found in the DMV, a few was in the HPD or HCF databases. None of the men, however, were the Hercules, from Steve's floor. Chin checked his phone when it peeped with a message. He began typing again and short after another face popped up on the screen, scowling aw them.

"Randy Gilbert, born and raised in Honolulu, never left the state," Chin introduced his two coworkers to the Crocodile Dundee, who had invaded Steve's home. "Fingerprints came back to this guy, only thing on his rap sheet is a parking violation," Chin read and typed away again.

"Looks like he just graduated to wannabe-kidnapper," Danny scowled at the picture and crossed his arms.

"Either he's smart or just stupidly lucky," Lou commented. Either one of the two choices was the standard for all criminals who hadn't been caught yet.

"No one is smart if they think they can overpower Steve and live to tell about it. Nothing smart about that," Danny throws back at the former SWAT commander who looked at him glumly before returning his gaze to the screen.

"So, what? We think that these two just happened to make the decision to enter when they probably had more, if not better, opportunities earlier?" Lou asked, his question not pointed at Danny in particular.

"Well, there's too many people at her school if they wanted it to be as quiet as possible," Chin offered.

"Rachel's house is secured with top shelf quality merchandise, which includes a steel gate with camera and microphone. No one gets in, unless they're let in," Danny countered, almost abounding defensive.

"So they just grabbed the opportunity at Steve's 'cause the house is somewhat secluded and shielded by trees and bushes?" Lou suggested and Chin nodded.

"The only thing that gives them a bit if wiggle room if they had to deal with other people than Grace," Chin agreed and Danny's fists whitened on the top of the table.

"That could also be the reason for them to wait until you left; fewer people. They already knew you were armed, so why should they take the chance with you?" Lou commented as if he had heard one of the detectives many questions. Probably the thought of a father.

"Only they didn't know what was actually in store for them," Danny muttered, something similar to a smug formed on his face. Lou clasped a hand onto Danny's shoulder and almost startled him.

"They had it coming," the big man said with a careful smile and Danny nodded.

"Yeah… uhm… let's just get to the bottom of this," Danny replied and blinked the moist in his eyes away. Damn, this was getting to him. The clock showed almost ten at night, when Jerry rushed through the glass doors with a crazed look in his eyes and a laptop in his hands.

"Guys! I figured it out!" he announced before he reached the table. "I might have found a connection," he continued when he placed the laptop on the table, facing the three men in front of him.

"What's this?" Danny asked as he stared at a blown up map of something with a red dot in dead center.

"Well, according to the web, back in the fifties, there was a small group of militias in the southwest corner of South Africa," Jerry began, excitedly.

"Militias in South Africa aren't unheard of, Jer," Chin mentioned dryly.

"I know, but these are different. These are white," the conspiracy theorist explained. "Probably started out as low-income families, trying to protect their neighborhood from the natives around them. Rumor has it, that it grew extreme and began recruiting boys from a younger age. The inaugurations ceremony was some sort of long hike, on their own, to the coast where the boys had to cut off the top of their right ear with a butter knife," Jerry finished and the trio in front of him looked stunned.

"Are you serious?" Lou asked and Jerry shrugged.

"Well, in theory it could just have been a very dull knife instead of a butter knife, but… yeah," he replied and scratched the back of his neck.

"And the connection?" Danny prompted, not yet seeing it.

"Oh, yes. The militia group slowly died out, but nowadays some people think of the ceremony as some kind of twisted test of manhood. People proudly cut off half of their own ear, after their first kill. Now, some of these _earless_ , as they call themselves, has a wide net across the world. Many earlesses have been tied to everything on the wrong side of the law," he said and brought up a map of the United States. Chin looked curious, Lou was confused and Danny had the look of someone, who didn't know what to believe.

"They work for money and, apparently, have no trouble with who their employers are. See anywhere that sticks out, like a sore thumb?" he asked and gestured to the map with red dots scattered all over the country.

"Most of the major cities," Chin noticed as he leaned in. "And New Jersey's marked, too," he continued and Danny leaned in closer, now growing interested.

"So, I pulled all the files that had an earless connected to it and, surprise, surprise, I found a common denominator," he said and turned his attention to the smart table, where he tapped away and shortly after a picture popped up.

"Vasily Petroff," Danny sighed with disgust. Chin and Lou turned to him as Jerry pulled up the file on the man. "Second generation Russian arms dealer I met back in Jersey, lot of old money from his father, Oleg Petroff. They've never been shy of hiring help from the outside," Danny explained.æ8

"Why hasn't he been arrested?" Lou asked when he glanced over the file.

"He was never close to the merchandise, not even at the deals. We could never actually tie him to any of the transactions. On top of that, he pays good money to those who end up in jail, while dealing for him," he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"So why go after you?" Chin asked.

"I don't… I don't know… I arrested a handful of his henchmen, but I never got anything remotely concrete on the man himself," Danny replied and leaned on the table.

"What about his brother?" Chin asked and Danny realized that the lieutenant had chipped away on the table and brought up another picture.

"Yuri Petroff, three years younger, in the same business, but we couldn't nail anything to him either. I think we got him on something minor, but I can't remember," Danny said and Chin searched again.

"I think I found a motive," Chin said.

"He's dead? How did that happen?" Lou asked and crossed his arms.

"That would qualify as motive," Jerry agreed and looked to Danny who was equally surprised as Lou.

"Shanked in prison, two months ago," Chin replied as he skimmed through the text on the screen.

"Alright, that would do it," Danny noted and blew out a slow breath. "That would do it," he repeated and looked at the screen again.

"Alright. I'll get a location on the Petroff's. Lou, can you loop in the governor and wake up some judges? I've got a feeling, that we'll need some warrants tonight. Danny, you should go back to the hospital," Chin said. Normally, Danny would take the lead, but under the circumstances, the older lieutenant stepped in. He held up a hand, when Danny was about to protest.

"Chin's right, man. Go be there for your family," Jerry added convincingly.

"Okay. I'll do that," Danny replied and knocked on the edge of the table a few times.

"Send Kono back here, she'll find a money trail in no time," Chin added and Lou gave Danny a gentle pat on the shoulder before suggestively pushing him towards the door.

"Go, we've got this," the big man encouraged and Danny nodded hesitantly, then gratefully and disappeared.

 _So, what are your thoughts? Should I keep going? I figured this would be about four to five chapters, but I think we're already way past that. Let me know, what you think. Night, people! /Le Val._


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello! Part number four, I hope you enjoy. Remember to leave a review - they keep my motivation up. Thank you for reading and reviewing! /Le Val._

Danny walked into the dimly lit room and watched the sleeping figures for a moment. He had stopped by Steve's room and sent Kono back to the palace and was now looking at his daughter still form. Grace's chest was rising and falling rhythmically, almost hypnotizing him to the spot in the doorway. Rachel was sitting in a chair by the bed side, sleeping in an awkward angle, that her body would despise her for in the morning. Danny stepped closer and gently stroked away the hair, that had fallen into his ex-wife's eyes and she stirred, before looking up at him.

"Why don't you go home at get some rest? I'll stay here until you come back," Danny whispered as he squatted next to the chair.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked, sleepily and Danny nodded. "How's Steve?" she continued.

"He's, uh, hanging in there. Doctors gave him some more medication, so he won't wake up until the morning," Danny replied and debated whether to tell her the whole story, but he concluded, that she didn't need that, not right now.

"Good. Al right, I'll go pick up Charlie, and then we'll be back here in the morning," Rachel said as she got to her feet. Danny followed her to the door and shook his head.

"Don't bother. I talked to Renee on the way up here, and he's sound asleep next to Will," Danny explained. In the middle of the chaos earlier, Renee had offered to take care of Charlie for the evening, after Charlie had clung to Will's hand when Rachel and Danny had been in with Grace. Rachel let out a sigh and nodded.

"You should get some rest yourself, Daniel," she suggested and Danny nodded affirmatively.

"I will… uh, take care, Rachel," he replied and was pleasantly surprised when she pulled him close for a hug and a peck on the cheek. After what felt like a minute, Rachel pulled away and walked down the hallway to the elevators, without a word. Danny looked after her until she rounded the corner, before he walked back into the dark room and sat down in the seat Rachel had vacated. Physically, Grace was fine, the only thing marking her was a small cut on her neck. She had, however, been mildly sedated to calm down and she had been sleeping ever since. Mentally, Danny knew she would have changed. This wasn't like the time she had been taken by his training officer, she was too young for it to have any deep impact on her. But this, as a fifteen year old girl, she would remember. She had watch Steve fight for both of their lives. She had shot and killed a man, trying to help out her favorite uncle. Somehow, in this one-sided, silent rant, Danny concluded that this island wasn't safe. If they had just stayed on the mainland, all this would never have happened. Grace wouldn't have been taken, the winter formal wouldn't have been interrupted by gun slinging mad med – and it would probably contain real snow and cold weather. Not to mention, the carjacking and break-in at Rachel's all these years ago. And the liver, Danny had donated to his friend after landing a plane on the beach – also something that wouldn't have happened on the mainland. And Matt would probably still be alive. And he would never have travelled to North Korea and gambled his life in a hen nest called Tangerine. And the parking building wouldn't have collided on top of him. And he would have been shot while going on a camping trip with the Aloha girls. And he would definitely never have been near the dirty bomb Steve had disassembled. No. They should have stayed on the mainland where Danny would later open his restaurant. He would have to find a name for it, because he wasn't calling in anything close to _Steve's_. Of course, none of it was Steve's fault, even though Danny would always make it sound like it. It was just his way of venting after an adrenaline high. If he had never met the controlling Neanderthal, who had no regards to safety, and didn't know the correct definition of _back-up_ , he probably wouldn't be sitting in this lousy chair in his daughter's room in the hospital. A pang of guilt shot through him and he gave himself a mental kick. If Steve hadn't been there, when Grace was targeted today, he would possible never hold her in his arms again. Steve had deemed it his specialty to keep Danny on the edge of a breakdown, but the man always had his back. Even when Danny had told him about his claustrophobia, he had been cool and proceeded alone into the dark, musty, filthy, small tunnel, with all possible dangers lurking around the corners. Danny had felt bad about it, that he wasn't able to have Steve's back in situations like those. And now, the man was two floors up, heavily dozed with a bullet wound in his gut. Grace and Charlie were confident that their uncle Steve was close to invincible, Danny had sometimes believed it, too, especially when the man had dug out a bullet from his vest like he was flicking grit of his cargo pants, not too long ago. It was probably something he had learned in SEAL school, Danny had wondered perplexed, when Steve had tossed the bullet and walked past him. Sometime into Danny's monologue, the fatigue claimed him, but did nothing for the emotional chaos inside him.

.

Opening his eyes in the bright unfamiliar room surely woke him up. The SEAL training made it easier to go from sleep to fully awake in less than a blink of the eye. Quickly realizing that the unfamiliar surroundings were that of a hospital, he relaxed a little. But the steady beeping to his right did nothing to lessen his tense muscles. He took stock of himself. A bandaged wrist, sore throat, extremely sore ribs and a pulsing headache to the back of his head. The burning feeling in his abdomen wasn't unfamiliar. A brief wave of pain washed over him so he took in a sharp breath to control it and almost startled by the rush of fabric from the corner.

"Steve. How are you feeling?" the quiet, silvery voice of Rachel sounded to his left. She had a look of weariness and sleep over her. Steve turned his head and looked at her, sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair with a pair of long legs draped over her lap. On the next chair, Grace was sleeping in a weird position with a blanket draped over her.

"How is she?" Steve asked, when scrutinizing the sleeping teenager for any sign of injuries.

"Tired, but stubborn, otherwise she'll be alright," Rachel replied. "She was discharged a few hours ago, but wouldn't leave until she knew you were okay," she continued, he voice calm and soft as she looked at her daughter. Steve nodded, reassured.

"I'm so sorry about all this, Rachel, it should never have happened," Steve apologized but Rachel shook her head.

"Please, stop, Steve. None of this was your fault. In fact, Daniel told me, that you're the reason we still have a daughter to hug tonight," Rachel reprimanded him. Steve went quiet for a moment and looked away.

"They working the case?" he asked when finding Rachel's eyes again. He didn't have to elaborate. She nodded.

"Daniel stayed with Grace all night and Chin Ho came by this morning to take her statement. After that, Kono and Lou came and they all had to leave. Something about a warrant, I think," Rachel explained briefly and Steve nodded.

"Good," he replied and fell silent again. "You should take her home and get some rest. Both of you," he mentioned and Rachel nodded.

"I know she wants to talk with you before she leaves. Are you up for it?" she asked and Steve nodded and let his gaze travel to Grace again. It didn't take long for Rachel to wake the girl, only a few light strokes on the top of her head. Sleepy eyes found his and Grace almost fell out of the chair when she jumped to her feet, blanket all forgotten. In no less than two steps, she had enveloped Steve and buried her face in the crook of his neck, sobs already shaking her body. Steve didn't need the encouragement to pull her closer, even though his whole body protested. A single tear travelled down his cheek, into Grace's hair and Steve distantly heard Rachel mutter something about a doctor and leave the room. When the protests became too loud however, Steve stroked Grace's hair and spoke.

"Gracie, sweetheart, you're crushing me," he mumbled with a tight voice and she pulled away, red eyed and sniffling.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Steve," she stammered and Steve couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips.

"Just don't tell Danno, alright," he said and she nodded with a grin as she wiped away the tears on her cheek.

"I thought you died. I've never been so scared in my whole life before," she said, new tears forming in her eyes. Steve reached a hand up and cupped her cheek.

"I was scared too, but you saved my life, Grace," he confirmed and she smiled through the tears again. Steve maneuvered his body, as careful as he could and motioned for Grace to take a seat next to him.

"We saved each other," Grace mumbled after finding a comfortable position, resting her head on Steve's shoulder, his arm wrapped securely around her back.

"I'm glad, you're alright," he said and closed his eyes when the exhaustion washed over him again. He was vaguely aware of people coming and going, conversing above him.

.

Danny stripped off his bulletproof vest and tossed into the trunk of his car, next to where he had tossed his tie. His hospitalized partner would be proud to see the discarded piece of fabric in the trunk. He was still feeling the rage and anger and sadness after listening to Grace when she gave her recap off yesterday. Chin had been asking the questions carefully, for which Danny was grateful, but her recount of what had happened made him sick to his stomach. When Lou and Kono and arrived with a location and warrant he was all fired up, ready to go. The team had been working through the night, following money, waking up CIs and judges, everything. Their target was a Russian, Dmitri Markow, who had lived in New Jersey for some time. Kono had found a money transfer to his account, from an associate of the Petroff's back east. However, the money had disappeared as quickly, as they had appeared on the account. Danny was first through the door, wearing his pent up feelings on his sleeves. Now, said suspect was handcuffed and currently being stuffed in a police car by Kono. Danny was planning to have the first crack at the guy in the basement of the palace. He deserved as much. For what had happened to Grace and Steve. His phone chirped and he opened the message from his ex-wife. He smiled at the picture, his daughter huddled close to his best friend, their sleeping faces so peaceful. He could almost feel all the anger seeping out of him in an instant. A second later Rachel's face appeared on the screen and he answered the call immediately.

"Hey, Rachel, how are they doing?" he asked with no delay.

" _Better, I think, both of them. Grace's been sleeping a lot, though,_ " she replied, her voice hushed but warm with a smile.

"Of course. She must be exhausted. And Steve? Has he said anything?" Danny inquired.

" _Well, he tried to apologize, but I wasn't having it. I didn't get a chance to properly thank him, before they were both asleep. The doctor said the concussion isn't too bad. They are going to check on the stitches later today,_ " Rachel reported and Danny could hear her pacing through the phone.

"Okay. Good. Listen, I'll call you later, Rachel. Tell Gracie that Danno loves her," he said and heard the acknowledgement before ending the call and looking up at Chin when he stopped by the car.

"Any news?" Chin asked when Danny pocketed his phone and the detective nodded in the affirmative.

"Yeah, uh, they're good, both of them. It sounds like Steve was awake and alert. The doctors aren't worried about the concussion, so, yeah, they're good," Danny said and Chin nodded with a pleased look in his eyes.

"Great. Now, take a look at this," he continued, changing the subject to the flip phone he handed Danny.

"This belong to our guy?" Danny asked and looked through the call log and messages. The phone beeped with each key stroke and obeyed his every order.

"Probably. It was hidden under a loose floorboard in the bedroom," Chin explained when Danny handed it back to him.

"That's great. If we can trace the numbers in the call log, maybe we'll find out who's behind all this," the detective replied and closed the lid on the trunk.

"Yeah, I've already called it in as a priority. I'm going to drop it off on the way back to headquarters," Chin said and Danny nodded as he walked around the car.

"I'll see you there," he said before entering his car and taking off a few seconds later. Chin had to take a few steps back, if he wanted to keep his toes and soon after he turned back to the house. Inside the sparsely furnished house, he found his cousin looking through a bunch of papers strewn on the kitchen counter.

"You found anything?" he asked Kono when she glanced up at him.

"Maybe, take a look at this," she said and handed him a flyer. "It's a retirement home up on the north shore. The phone number is encircled… and this," she continued and handed him a piece of paper. "This is a letter from the same home, thanking our guy for the generous donation," she explained.

"But he doesn't have any family on the island?" Chin asked as his eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"That's what I thought, so I called them and asked about him. They say, he's been visiting a woman named Diana Kohl," Kono said and looked at her cousin.

"You up for a ride?" he asked and raised the flyer suggestively, along with his eyebrows.

.

The interrogation of Dmitri Markow was less than fruitful and Danny had almost behaved himself. Just a few moments after the first time his knuckles had connected with Markow's teeth, Lou had opened the door with an update on the flip phone Chin had found in the house.

"For the past month, the phone had been in contact with four other numbers. All burners, by the way. One phone number in particular stood out, because it was always marked as an incoming call. The three others were mostly outgoing," the captain informed him while they walked into the offices.

"That could be Petroff, right?" Danny inquired with a tinge of hope in his voice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses, cowboy. No need to rush to any conclusions, alright," the bigger man said and placed a big hand on Danny's shoulder to mentally slow him down.

"Just tell me, before I go arrest him for … jaywalking, or something ridiculous," Danny said impatiently and pushed through the glass door to the office space.

"Alright, alright," Lou sighed and followed the detective. "Fong called with a lot of computer nonsense and gobbledygook I can't even try to pronounce correctly," he continued and stared at the smart table with some level of disbelief.

"And?" Danny spurred him on, anxiously.

"Hold on, hold on," the big man said, holding up a hand, pausing for dramatics. "The phone was purchased by a drugstore right here in town. Kono managed to track something down that proved it came from that specific store, don't even ask me how she did it from the road, kids and technology," he said with a chuckle. It died out, when Danny took in a slow breath. "Relax, man, patience is a virtue, right?" he asked and Danny only crossed his arms in annoyance. "Right, point is, she and Chin got the surveillance tapes from the store and managed to pull a nice portrait of no other than Vasily Petroff himself," Lou finished with a smile. Danny felt the knot in his stomach jump and twist at the news.

"So we can actually nail the incompetent oaf for this," Danny gloomed.

"That's not even the best of news," Lou continued and turned to the table. With a few taps, a grunt, more taps and a complying _pling_ , a map popped up on the big screen with a red dot dead center. "She also found a clear shot of his car and traced it back to a rental company, from which he retrieved a name and an address. Now, the address was a hotel, he had stayed on for three nights, no luck there. But she pulled the GPS from the rental car and this street popped up a few times. Chin and Kono will meet us there. HPD is en route, too," Lou finished. Danny was already moving, not wanting to waste another second standing by and doing nothing. He was also pretty sure, that he was about to violate all the traffic rules, he had ever slandered Steve for, but he really didn't care. Not after what the son of a bitch had done to his closest _ohana_.

 _Ugh... Those spaces between the lines are giving me grey hairs! No matter what I do, they just. wont. cooperate with me! Either there's too many or none at all. Well... let me know what you think about the latest development... Anything missing, or things that need to be written. I'll start taking suggestions for the next chapters, as they haven't been written yet. Leave a comment, please, and sleep well. /Le Val._


End file.
